Women's Europa Cup
No comeback! St. Pölten and Sturm are out
The round of 16 in the Women’s Europa Cup will go ahead without any Austrian teams. The women’s soccer team from SKN St. Pölten failed to mount the hoped-for comeback against Malmö FF in Wednesday’s second-leg match of the second qualifying round, suffering a 0-3 defeat on Swedish soil after losing 0-2 at home. Sturm Graz, after a 1–6 loss in Germany, also lost the second leg against VfL Wolfsburg, though they at least put up a much tougher fight in a 0–2 defeat.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen “If we score the first goal, we’re back in the game, and the momentum will shift in our favor,” SKN coach Laurent Fassotte had said before the match. His hopes were short-lived, however, as Ellen Löfqvist put the hosts ahead in the eighth minute off an assist from Hlin Eiriksdöttir. Twenty minutes later, the Lower Austrians’ elimination was sealed for good. Tuva Skoog, who had already been outstanding in the first leg, added Malmö’s second goal off an assist from Isabella D’Aquila.
NoSigns ofNerves at Malmö
There was no sign of anynervesfollowing the surprising 1-3 league loss to mid-table Brommapojkarna over the weekend. SKN, on the other hand, created chances but lacked a clinical finish. After the break, Skoog and D’Aquila switched roles, with the latter sealing the final score at 3-0 in the 58th minute. SKN failed to score in 180 minutes, so advancing was out of the question. The European Cup season has thus come to an end earlier than hoped for the Bundesliga leader—the league campaign continues on Sunday (2 p.m.) at home against Sturm.
The Graz team, coached by Tode Djakovic, kept Wolfsburg well in check with a defensive strategy, but a set piece still gave VfL the lead before halftime. Lou Bogaert curled a free kick over the wall and right into the corner (32nd minute). In the ensuing play, goalkeeper Vanessa Gritzner made several strong saves in front of 1,649 spectators at the Graz-Liebenau Stadium, ensuring that the defeat remained a narrow one in terms of the final score. However, she was beaten once more when substitute Anny Kerim-Lindland (84') sealed the final score.
From an Austrian perspective, Friday’s round of 16 draw (1 p.m.) is now meaningless. Last season, Wiener Austria—which is gaining experience in the Champions League this time around—had advanced to the quarterfinals.
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